The Aggie Gray Resort yes. And someone said over at sucks tribal could be at the resort because two long wharfs with a large circle at the end are there and aparently the two smaller islands off coast will be the tribes camps and Exile. the latter being smaller than the former!

Logged

'We are the makers of music, and the dreamers of dreams' - 'To roam the roads of lands remote, to travel is to live'.

I don't know if i'll be fire up for Survivor anymore or not.. after 19 seasons.. it's getting boring.

All I can say is, I hope this season is promising. XD I agree, it has lost its fire from the earlier seasons, and I guess you could argue that after All-Starts it started losing its spark (though there have been a lot of good seasons, notably to me Vanuatu, Micronesia, Palau, and Guatemala). But I digress. I think this season should be good so long as the editors don't give it all away anymore. :\

Logged

The Incredible Race 2: Currently in Kathmandu, Nepal - Episode 4 is up!

FIELD/Fairfax Media TOUGH TIMES: Eighteen strangers will be forced to work together to 'survive' for 39 days on Samoa's tropical beaches.

OPINION The worst kept secret in reality television is official - the 19th edition of CBS' Survivor series is heading to Samoa.

Other than the fact that it has wrecked wedding plans for dozens of New Zealanders, the real question is this: How hard can surviving on Samoa be?

I did it for years, tackling endless multicourse umu or feasts, complete with freshly plucked fruit and delicately roasted pork. Then there was surviving Vailima beer, the sunburn on the stunning beaches and the odd falling coconut or children stealing mangoes.

And yes, all those Samoans. Large, warm, friendly, romantic and so darn hospitable. Surviving Samoa’s jungles? No snakes, wild animals or anything threatening, other than getting mud on your Nikes.

Sure it rains, but it never gets cold.

Back in February Stuff.co.nz reported that Samoa was the next venue for the series. The Samoan media were not allowed to report it because Deputy Prime Minister Misa Telefoni heaved reporters to keep it secret.

He lured them to his office and, according to one who was there, the reporters were confronted by "a Caucasian man who claimed to have been a journalist representing an overseas company filming a popular TV reality show on CBS that claimed 100 million TV viewers worldwide".

He told them that Samoa’s media were not allowed to write a word and were warned of unspecified consequences if they did.

Survivor host Jeff Probst last week got around to telling the world what every Samoan already knew.

"Deep in the exotic waters of the South Pacific, 18 strangers will be abandoned on the rugged islands of Samoa, a tropical paradise straight from Robert Louis Stevenson’s legendary tale, Treasure Island," said Probst during the preview.

"This majestic land of towering waterfalls, mysterious rainforests, and a fierce warrior culture will be the castaways’ home for 39 days. Forced to work together, they must learn to adapt or they will be voted out."

The problem for Samoa has been that the delicate Americans involved in making the programme are not interested in surviving - they want comfort.

Thus, they have taken over Aggie Grey’s Lagoon, Beach Resort, at Satuimalufilufi, near the airport.

I’ve survived it several times, finding gruelling the part between where you order a coconut from the fridge and wait two long minutes for its delivery.

Some of the locals remember when there was a graveyard on the spot the resort was built and fear ghosts, but in my survival experience the only spirits were in glasses.

Its long white beach and the view across the Apolima Strait to Savai’i make Aggie’s Resort a popular spot for weddings, mainly from New Zealand. Hundreds have had to be cancelled to make way for surviving Americans.

I used to know the late Aggie Grey quite well; she was always upset that people thought she was the model for "Bloody Mary" in the musical South Pacific. She would simply not have shafted her guests in the way the resort is now doing.

And the last time I had to survive the original Aggies hotel in Apia it was in the Marlon Brando Suite. It was as tough as it sounds.

Survivor have taken over a couple of beaches, notably a place called Return to Paradise Beach on Upolu’s south coast. It was last famous in 1953 when Gary Cooper starred in a movie there.

I’ve survived its warm waters and white sands. We had to pay the matai to be there. Then we tried to light a barbeque but could not as the wood was damp. A 10-year-old village girl came by and did it for us.

Last time I was there I was covering a conference; Helen Clark and John Howard were staying and some local Samoan wrestler called Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was, well, surviving. Shared a resort toilet briefly with him - and two security guards.

The locations suggest the “jungle” to be used by Survivor is the area south west of the capital Apia. It is where we went one day to hunt the fierce wild Lake Lanoto’o goldfish.

It’s not far from where Taito Philip Field got some Thais to do some tiling.

Samoa’s acting Prime Minister, Misa Telefoni, is backing the view of Samoa Hotel Association CEO, Nynette Sass, that the global recession has not had any impact on the number of tourists visiting Samoa.

Misa also says the recent world wide launch of Survivor Samoa, is a major boost for the country.

He estimates that Survivor’s value in marketing Samoa is worth hundreds of millions of dollars and he says the series has already created a positive cash flow into hotels, rental cars, restaurants, telecommunications, and created many new employment opportunities.

Meanwhile Mrs Sass says Samoa needs more top end accommodation.

She says at the moment there’s just Aggie Grey’s Hotel in Apia but the takeover of Hotel Kitano Samoa by the Reddy Group of Fiji should help create more top level facilities.

Mrs Sass also says the country needs to build more facilities in order to attract really big conferences.

And that ends this bulletin of Pacific regional news from Radio New Zealand International, to fa.

I hope they really change up the game abit. I remembered they tried to change things up with Exile Island and dividing the survivors into 4 instead of 2 tribes.. and even having a final 3 instead of 2.. but seriously, we need some twists from the producers as well. The twist of the show can't always be blindsides..

Logged

"The Amazing Race shows the best and worst out of you. But if only negative things are shown, then it's probably you. - Jobby"

STUNNING piece of real estate. All the raw materials a developer dreams of; lots of elevated land with lots of character, a beautiful, pristine stretch of beach, fantastic panoramic views, secluded, tranquil surroundings, yet all still close to civilization and amenities! Situated at the end of the village proper , where it is quieter and less populated.AND it is located in an unspoilt and peaceful country with a unique culture and colourful people. What a winning mix! Samoa presently is very committed to developing tourism especially in the area of resorts and big hotels.Ideal for an exclusive & quiet hideaway for those who will pay for their privacy. Or a resort for all. Just think, your accommodation, your swimming pools, anything you build can have ocean views! All the elements are right here. Perfect property, perfect country!Enough land too for some moulding & landscaping to create a challenging golf course to lure those golfing tourists.The coastal, scenic drive from airport to Falelatai, where our property is located, is very pretty. You can see Savai’i, Apolima and Manono. The village itself is picturesque & clean. The property lies just on the edge of Falelatai, with elevation, so you are looking down at the main village,THE BEACH, your own bay with 2 natural coves! A cute small one and a much bigger one. Sheltered, secluded & very private. The topography ensures that only guests will have access to the beach. Beach frontage stretches over ½ mile, beautiful white sand.Backdrop of coconut palms and bush on flat land before elevation of property. Much more sand can be exposed when bushes cleared.THE LAGOON, clear, clean, turquoise waters, well protected & safe for swimming, always warm and luxurious.THE REEF, tropical sealife for keen snorklers to explore.THE OCEAN, beyond the reef, an endless vision of emerald-blue, unpolluted and a vast arena for game fishing, diving or any water sports.The delicacy “palolo” (island cavier) rises on this beach. Only happens one or two days in Oct and Nov yearly, 7 days after the full moon. The palolo has to be quickly gathered because as soon as the sun is up and hot, it all starts to melt away. Tourists can witness first hand this phenomenon, even participate.THE LAND, has the highest elevations at the very back of the property. Helps to maintain security and privacy. Situated only about 280m from the main road.Refer plan, a stream serves as part of the back boundary.Elevation starts just behind the beach so all the main buildings would be on high ground, a real plus should there be storm surges.Fresh-water stream flows out to the sea.Property is extensive, covered with lush, virgin bush and forestry, sprinkled with coconut palms. One side gives lovely views of the ocean below and potentially Falelatai village, nestled peacefully on a plain with acres of coconut plantations.Different levels and slopes can be landscaped to allow for unobstructed views.Create a treasure of breath-taking ocean vistas.Of course, there will always be those cool, exhilarating sea breezes!IMAGINE waking every morning to spectacular views or in evenings gazing in awe at skies littered with stars sparkling like diamonds, as far as the eye can see.What better therapy for stress? Idyllic, serene surroundings. A touch of heaven!THE POTENTIAL HERE IS AWESOME!